Considering a Cloud Contact Center? 4 Points to Start the Discussion

As the popularity of cloud computing increases, companies left on the outside are faced with a dilemma. Do you follow suit and join the pack or do you maintain your existing IT structure? It’s a decision not to be taken lightly and one that many companies make with inaccurate or incorrect information.

If you are considering migrating your contact center systems to the cloud, it’s best to have the facts. Here are four things to consider when determining if a switch to the cloud is right for you.

It doesn’t have to be all at once.
Many companies believe that if they make the switch to the cloud, then they must transition all of their contact center systems. That’s not true. In fact, for those with significant on-premises contact center infrastructure, best practice is to keep the on-premises system running at full capacity for as long as it’s usable, maximizing its ROI. The cloud transition should begin gradually, using cloud-based resources to cover extra needs, such as seasonal bursting, sustained growth or new analytics use cases.

Your cloud strategy should be unique to your business.
Flexibility is an essential value of cloud-based solutions, so a one-size-fits-all approach to deployment doesn’t make sense. Look for a technology partner that takes a collaborative and consultative approach. The partner should work with you to build a migration strategy that supports existing investments in on-premises infrastructure while identifying opportunities to leverage cloud efficiencies, build out coverage for peak demand and future growth, and deliver new value with advanced cloud-based analytics capabilities.

Moving to the cloud does not mean sacrificing security.
Though security has traditionally been a key concern for businesses transitioning to the cloud, modern cloud solutions provide comprehensive data security that generally exceeds that of traditional, on-premises systems. Leading cloud solutions are built to ensure encryption of all data—both in transit and in storage. This level of encryption is often several steps beyond that used in on-premises systems. Moreover, the cloud platform provides instant access to the latest security tools, updates and patches, in real time and without added cost or downtime for the contact center.

The cloud makes contact center analytics attainable.
The benefits of moving to the cloud prove particularly valuable for the modern contact center. The cloud provides access to virtually limitless resources, empowering the contact center with fast and cost-effective scalability to accommodate seasonal bursting and fluctuating call volume, as well as support sustained growth. These infinite resources also make customer interaction analytics a cost-effective reality, enabling the contact center to home in on the true voice of the customer and use those insights to guide the business as a whole. To learn how you can finally see the full picture of your customer experience, read our complete guide to customer interaction analytics.

Is the cloud right for you? That will ultimately come down to the needs of your company, but cloud-based options certainly are more flexible than you may have previously believed. So, shop the market, consult with numerous vendors and be specific in your wants. You may just find the best solution for your contact center is to put your software in the cloud.

Is your company thinking about making the change to the cloud? Download our ebook, Stepping Up to the Secure Cloud to learn more.

Raj Shankar